The spat started with Pergande posting a video of a training session where he took Garry down. Garry unfollowed Pergande on Instagram after the clip went viral. Replying to a fan, Garry said that he unfollowed Pergande because “Russian DNA” had filmed their training session without consent. Garry also accused Pergande of continuing to film even after he was asked not to.
“Because he filmed me without permission, then secretly kept filming me after I asked him to stop and has been editing and reposting the same session for four years,” Garry wrote. “I liked the kid but respect when someone says no to filming you.”
However, Pergande (8-0) completely denies Garry’s accusations. Pergande says his fiancée was filming the session in the presence of Garry’s wife and UFC middleweight Chris Curtis. According to Pergande, he was never asked to stop filming the session. The undefeated PFL featherweight believes the whole episode has been blown out of proportion because of Garry’s upcoming UFC welterweight title challenge against Islam Makhachev.
Another Sparring Controversy
“I didn’t know the day would come when Ian Garry is lying about me… None of that was true,” Pergande said on TikTok. “I’m not sure why he made up a lie that never happened. Because his wife, his training partner Chris Curtis, his cameraman were all next to my fiancée. She was right up on the cage next to the fence and she was filming freely. And not once did someone ask, ‘Hey, can we not record this session?’”
Garry (17-1) has suffered his only professional loss against fellow contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is currently sidelined due to an injury. The Irishman is now scheduled to challenge Makhachev (28-1) for the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ian Garry unfollowed PFL fighter Alexei Pergande after a clip resurfaced of him taking down Garry in sparring:
"Ian Garry is lying about me... I'm not sure why he made up a lie [about me filming him without permission]."
(via alexei_pergande/TT) pic.twitter.com/M82ZQ0GXho— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 19, 2026
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